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Social Media & E-Tools for the Small Business Owner Seminar Summary

We recently held a business seminar presented by SCORE and guest speaker Stephanie Shaffery, president of Flair Marketing. Our presenters discussed important strategies to get your business out there on the web and the do’s and don’ts of social media marketing. Here is some important information you may have missed out on that could be key to helping your business succeed:

• There are many advantages when it comes to using social media. It helps you build relationships with your consumers, establishes your business as a resource, and helps build your brand and show personality.

• Blogging – This allows you to share customized information with everyone while humanizing your brand and sharing your expertise on various topics relating to your business. When blogging, make sure you integrate your blog with your website because you never want to have your blog stand alone, you always want it to link back to your main website. You may find it hard to set aside time to write for your blog, but if you try to post at least once a week or every other week to stay active with your audience, you will be in great shape. Don’t be afraid to schedule blog posts ahead of time for each month so you can stay organized and less stressed. Also, make sure the layout and design of your blog is consistent with your webpage to maintain your branding.

• Facebook – By using this free tool you are reaching over 1.15 billion users (and that number grows each day). Not only does it give you access to a wide range of consumers, but it allows you to create polls, post events, encourage participation, advertise your website/products/services, and so much more. Try to respond to a wall post within 24 hours – this shows tenacity and punctuality which are great qualities to possess as a business-owner. Remember to keep content fresh and up-to-date, add a cover photo and profile photo (preferably with your logo) and include hyperlinks to boost SEO.

• Twitter – You can gain immediate feedback when using Twitter. You can also engage in conversations, promote offers and discounts, and establish your brand. Make sure you do your research before engaging consumers, let everyone on Twitter know who they are talking to (aka that you’re not a robot), and build your Twitter equity and credibility up. Don’t be afraid to follow other companies in your industry and see what they are doing in their businesses – you can use ideas and information from others that could be very valuable.

• YouTube – This website can help keep the costs of video production down while providing entertainment and educational value. This also creates another channel for your brand but make sure to keep videos short and concise, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new things. Learn what works and what doesn’t work with your business and take constructive criticism from friends, family, and consumers.

• Pinterest – This is a great option for any visual business to share images of your work, products, and/or services. Pinterest is essentially a virtual bulletin board where you can “pin” photos onto various “boards”. For example, if you opened a new restaurant you may want to upload pictures of some of your specialty dishes with an embedded link to your website therefore, when users click on the photo it will automatically bring them to your page. It’s the latest hype right now with over 50 million users and the number three most-popular social network in the U.S behind Facebook and Twitter.

The most important thing to always remember is to thank all of your fans on any social media platform. This lets them know that you appreciate them and their business and gives them a “feel-good-feeling” knowing that you personally recognized them!

For more information visit our Twitter page to view the seminar’s live Twitterfeed and search #MediaToolsSem.

The SCORE Association is a national nonprofit organization with a public service mission to maximize the success of America’s existing and emerging small businesses. SCORE’s 10,500 members provide client counseling and training through a network of 389 chapters, 800 branches, and a national as well as individual chapter Web sites. SCORE has been a resource partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA) since 1964. Their volunteer members, who are both retired, or actively engaged in their business or profession, have many years of experience to bring to bear on helping to create stronger more profitable businesses.

Flair Marketing Groupis an award winning marketing firm, specializing in a unique blend of online and traditional marketing to help our clients achieve their sales and marketing goals. They offer marketing consultation and solutions that help your company stand out from the competition. By focusing on personalized service and customized marketing programs that capture the attention of your target audience, your company is sure to stand out. Their hands-on personalized service encourages client input and makes the client first priority in designing award winning logos, corporate branding and identity, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) friendly website design, development and maintenance. Along with their highly qualified professional resources, they have decades of knowledge and experience in graphic design, websites, blogging, compelling content creation, social media marketing and SEO.